Process of treating cotton fabric to produce woollike effects



Patented Dec. 119, 1922.;

T E FIC PATENT CORPORATION, OF ITEW YORK, N. Y.,- A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

,PROCESS OF TREATING COTTON FABRIC TO PRODUCE WOOLLIKE EFFECTS.

No Drawing.

Application filed S eptemb'er 1, 1921. Serial No. 497,738.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF, MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L,1313.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGES HnnnnLn-in, a'

- citizen of the Swiss Republic, and a resident of Wattwil, Canton ofSt. Gall, Switzerland, shaveinvented certain new and useful Improvementsin Processes of Treating Cotton 'Fabric to Produce Woollike Effects(which improvements are described in the following filed applications i.e., German application 30 Ser. No. 67112, filed July 17, 1914; patent ofaddition #294,571, granted Oct. 10, 1916; German application Ser. No.65355, filed Feb. 13, 1914; patent of addition #292,213, granted May26,1916; German application 5 Ser. No. H. 68470, filed May 19, 1915;Patent #295,816, granted Dec. 18,1916; French application Ser. No.83050,'filed Apr. 21,- 1916; Patent #481,561, granted Sept. 23, 1916;British application Ser. No. 6218 of 1916, filed May 1, 1916; Patent#100,488,

granted as of May 19, 1915; Belgian application Ser. No. 225,208, filedilune 24, 1919; Patent #280937, granted (not yet issued); Italianapplication Ser. No. (have none), filed May 4, 1916; Patent #154,095,granted June 5, 1916; Austrian application Ser. No. (have none), filedApr. 29, 1916; Patent #81367, granted Sept. 25, 1920), of which thefollowing is a specification. J -My invention relates to process oftreating cotton fabric to produce wool-like effects. I

In my United States Patent No. 1,141,872, granted June 1, 1915, I havedescribed and claimed a process of-treating cotton fabric to producepermanent wool-like effects, by first mercerizing the fabric andthen-treating it with concentrated sulphuric acid of less than 51 Be. Itwas described in that pat ent specification that if cotton fabric whichhas been mercerized and also preferably bleached, be subjected to theaction of sulphuric acid of from 49 to somewhat under 51 Be. (the bestaction being obtained be- 4,5 tween 494 and. 509 B.), the mercerizinglustre disappears, and instead of the transparency obtained with ahigher concentration of sulphuric acid, the fabric assumes a fine lightcrape-like nature, whereby it ap- 50 pears fuller, more wool-like,softer, and is generally improved andit has imparted to it somewhat thecharacter of fine woolen tion Serial Number 570,497 is stuff, such forexample as fine thin wool muslin. r v

I have also discovered that the wool-like quality of the fabricmentioned in said Patent No. 1,141,872 is also obtained if the cot.- tonfabric is-first treated with the sulphuric acid of from 49 to 51 B6,then washed, and

without stretching, mercerizing the fabricwith caustic alkali such ascaustic soda.

The present process is distinguished from that described in theaforesaid patent, in

that the said wool effect is obtained accordmg to the process of theaforesaid patent, regardless of whether the mercerizing is carried outwith or without stretching,

whereas in the present process where the mercerizing is carried outafter the acid treatment, the proper wool-like, effect takes place onlywhen the mercerizing is done without stretching. I have furtherdiscovered that the said wool-like effect is attained if in carrying outthe herein described process and also the process of the said patent,the treatment with sulphuric acid is replaced by a treatment withphosphoricv acid -of 55 to 57 B, or with hydrochloric acid of thespecific gravity of 1.19 at low temperature (as for example, below 0 C.)or with nitric acid of 43 to 46 B., or with zinc chloride solution of 66B. at 60 to 70 0., or With Schweizers solution, with a short reactionperiod. This application is directed to the process comprising atreatment with a concentrated mineral acid and a subsequent treatmentwith the caustic soda without stretching, whereas my divisionalcopending applicadirected to the same process except for thesubstitution of a cellulose solublizing salt. for the acid.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that when the cottonfibres are treated as herein stated,'the fibres are chemicallystucturally changed by each treatment,and

it is characteristic of fabrics treated accord ing tomy process,that-the fibres are chemically structurally changed, and that thechanged-'or altered condition of the fibres is permanent, i.e.,willwithstand repeated laundering so that the goods may be launderedwithout eliminating or materially al tering the characteristics of thefabric above described, and this greatly enhances their value. I

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. Method of treating cotton fabric to produce the described Wool-likeeffect, which method comprises subjecting the fabric to the action of aconcentrated strong mineral acid which will so alter the fibre that whensubsequently treated with caustic soda Without stretching, the saidwool-like quality will be effected, then Washing the fabric andsubjecting it to a mercerizing treatment Without stretching.

2. Method of treating cotton fabric to produce the described wool-likeeffect, which method comprises subjecting the fabric to the actionof'concentrated sulphuric acid of from 49 to 51 B., then washing thefabric and subjecting it 'to the action of caustic soda withoutstretching the fabric.

3. Method of treating cotton fabric to produce the described wool-likeeffect, which method comprises subjecting the fabric to the action of aconcentrated mineral acid which will so alter the fiber that when thefabricis subsequently treated with caustic soda without stretching, thesaid wool-like quality will be effected, andthereafter treating thefabric with caustic soda without stretching it. In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name td-this specification.

GEORGES HEBERLEIN.

